Hours after reports surfaced of Samsung Electronics' imminent unveiling of a curved smartphone, its domestic rival, LG, has announced it is to start mass production of flexible OLED panels for its own forthcoming bent handset.

Known both as the LG Z and the G Flex, LG has claimed the phone will be unbreakable.

"Our goal is to take an early lead in the flexible display market by introducing new products with enhanced performance and differentiated designs next year," said executive vice president and chief technology officer of LG Display, Dr Sang Deog Yeo.

As with Samsung's Galaxy Round, it is not known what the exact specs of LG's device will be, with even the flexible nature of the handset in doubt. While bendable technology has been demonstrated in prototype by a number of manufacturers, confirmation of a commercially viable flexible device remains elusive.